How to Delete a Printer in Mac OS X

Control the printers available on your Mac to remove clutter and to specify which devices have access to your documents. On computers running the Mac OS X Mavericks operating system, manage printers using the Printers & Scanners section of the System Preferences panel.

Unplug the printer after deleting it to prevent your Mac from trying to reinstall the device.

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Deleting a Printer

To delete a printer in OS X Mavericks, start by clicking the "Apple" menu in the upper-left corner of your screen. Select "System Preferences" and then click "Printers & Scanners" to load a list of devices currently configured for use with your Mac. Select the printer you want to delete and then click the "-" icon located at the bottom of the list of printers to remove the device.

Setting Your Default Printer

If the printer your Mac automatically selects for default use is not the one you want to use, manually set the default printer using the Printers & Scanners section of your Mac's System Preferences. Click the "Apple" menu, select "Printers & Scanners," click the "Default Printer" menu and select the printer you want to use.